That's How You Play the Game
by neorago
Summary: Six years after the hunt, Amy and Dan are sent to assassinate the Vespers' leader. Instead, they're met with a brainwashed Ian Kabra, who went missing with his mother right after the hunt. It's their choice to save the lost Lucian, or to save the Cahills.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**I'm so cliched. :P I had an idea just like this on a separate fanfiction account, but it sucked. I'm going to try to relive it through another archive, and let us hope it does not fail.

* * *

**That's How You Play the Game**

Six years after the hunt, Amy and Dan are sent to assassinate the Vespers' leader. Instead, they're met with a brainwashed Ian Kabra, who went missing with his mother right after the hunt. It's their choice to save the lost Lucian, or to save the Cahills.

x

No one on the outside knows. They don't know that underneath their seemingly perfect surface are two organizations of families, creating everything we know today. They control everything we know about, or at least, everything we think we know about.

The Cahills and the Vespers.

The Cahills consists of five groups: the Tomas', the Janus', the Ekaterinas, the Lucians, and the most secretive of them all, the Madrigals. Divided by their strengths, rather than united by them, not only do they battle the enemy but they battle each other.

The Vespers are the more secretive of the groups. Not even some Cahills knew about them, for they kept to themselves, watching everyone's movement.

As of recently, the Lucian's leader has been discovered to be a Vesper. Isabel Kabra, alledged traitor, has returned to her supposed family, taking along with her only one child: her son. She left her daughter to the Lucians, deeming her "unnecessary".

Soon after, the young Kabra was brainwashed. He no longer knew what it was like to be a Lucian. He only knew of his Vesper family, and his enemies: the foolish Cahills. All too busy fighting each other to see the true enemy.

Now it was his turn to join the fight. After years of training, twenty-year-old Ian Kabra has been assigned his biggest mission ever: to kill the leader of all five branches. He's not alone, either. Having brought along only two colleagues, both trained well, he is determined to accomplish this mission.

On the other side of the wall, another agent of the Cahills has been assigned to capture and kill the Vesper's leader. He is to work with his sister, twenty-year-old Amy Cahill, in order to follow out this mission. The two, both future Madrigal leaders, are determined to fight for the sake of their family.

Neither knew of the others' mission. Neither knew that the other existed, for that matter. Ian had lost all of his memories, and the Cahills assumed him to be dead by then.

And that's where the fun begins.

x

"I hate airplane rides," Dan murmured, adjusting himself into his seat uncomfortably. "Why couldn't we have taken first class? We _always _take first class. Fiske demands it. And here we are, in economy with seats squished together."

Amy frowned, looking over the edge of her novel to look at her brother. "Stop complaining. We've been through worse."

"We didn't have a choice then," he muttered, leaning over to grab a free magazine. "We have a choice now, and we obviously made the wrong one."

"We don't have a choice now either," she answered. "We can't draw attention to ourselves."

"Tons of people ride first class," the eighteen-year-old complained. "We wouldn't stand out."

Amy sighed. "You know that's not the reason why."

He did, but he didn't want to admit it. He knew that because they were on a plane headed towards Vepser territory, there would be secret Vesper agents - V's, as Dan likes to call them - on the plane as well. Most were known to be incredibly rich, so they would naturally be in first class. Which is why he and Amy had to steer clear of that area.

"So, _Melanie,_" Dan said, snickering to himself at his sister's fake name. "How long is this flight anyway?"

"Well, _Timothy,_" Amy said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not sure about that. Usually I'd research, but I was too busy with other things." And by other things, she meant stealth practice, shooting range, and other things to better equip herself for the mission at hand.

An hour passed, and Dan was already sleeping. Amy was glad that he was sleeping, though, because she knew he'd need it... and he wouldn't stop talking if he wasn't.

She stood up and maneuvered her way to the aisle. She needed to use the bathroom, of course. She stared at the back of the plane, where the line looked incredibly long. They always were after they served drinks. She sighed, and walked towards the front, although she knew it might be dangerous, for that was where first class was seated.

She was about to open the door when it slammed open, almost catching her off guard if she hadn't been so cautious.

"You should really watch out for these doors," the person said smoothly. "They open quite abruptly."

Amy's eyes met him, annoyed. He didn't even apologize for almost hitting her! The stranger's dark eyes clashed with her green ones, and for a second, he seemed almost startled. But he shook it off as being foolish, and walked away.

She rolled her eyes and stepped into the small bathroom.

The flight was boring after that. Hours and hours of nothing to do. She couldn't fall asleep, for paranoia took over that they'd be discovered. She wanted to trust that once Dan woke up, she could sleep. Alas, her younger brother didn't awake until it was almost landing time.

He yawned, stretching his arm out as far as they could go - which wasn't fair - and almost hitting his sister in the face. "How long was I out?" he asked sleepily, scratching his head.

Amy scowled, annoyed at him for being so relaxed and angry because she felt sleep deprived. "A long time," she muttered. "We're about to land."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes brightening a bit. "Sweet," he laughed. "That plane ride wasn't so bad."

"Yeah, because you were asleep. Here I was, uncomfortable with a kid kicking the back of my chair and whining, wanting to go to sleep."

"Then you should have."

"No, I couldn't have! And you know why."

The reason why Dan was never allowed to go on big missions himself was because he was never cautious enough. His sister, almost half the time, insisted that either her or someone older would always escort him on long missions. Even if they were top agents, that didn't stop her from being over-protective of the only real family she had left.

They left the plane, dragging their small luggage behind them. They never brought big luggage on missions, for they could be tampered with. Small carry-ons were always best.

"Wow. Italian airports look like American ones," Dan murmured.

Amy rolled her eyes. "What did you expect?"

Dan shrugged. "Not exactly sure."

"I'm going to go and try to get us a taxi up front, and you go get us some maps. Meet me over there in fifteen minutes," she said, looking for the front.

"Okay," he said with a nod. He walked off towards the general direction of the information booths.

Amy readjusted her bag with a huff and made her way to the front. She didn't know how to speak the language, but she knew that most of them knew English. She just hoped the taxi driver would, too.

As she was about to signal for a taxi, a sleek black car pulled to the curb in front of her. She scowled, knowing the car had taken the taxi's place. She watched as three men filed into the car, one looking vaguely familiar. She recognized his hair and overly dressed outfit, and took him to be the one who almost hit her on the plane.

_Figures, _she thought bitterly.

She finally managed to call a taxi when her brother found her. He had several maps in hands and a couple of pamphlets of tourist attractions. He was flipping through one of them when she called him over.

They filed into the taxi.

"The _Bella Luci _Hotel," she told him.

The driver nodded in affirmation and drove off.

They were Italy then. It was supposed to be where the Vespers' headquarters were - or, at least, one of them was. It was, however, where there leader was staying. Apparently, the Cahills learned that an important meeting was being held with the leader, and that Vesper agents were coming in to attend it.

He dropped them off in the front. The hotel was a luxorious one, surprisingly. Fiske decided that he didn't want to risk putting them in a cheap hotel where they might be mugged.

"Wow. Fancy," Dan commented. "Awesome."

_I hope there aren't any Vespers here, _she thought worriedly. They checked in under their aliases. The two had separate rooms, though they were across from each other. Their background story was that they were simply friends, not related for that seemed somewhat suspicious because Vespers knew that the Cahills might assign family members, who were studying abroad.

They went up to their rooms and checked each room immediately for any bugs. Afterwards, Amy decided to take a nap. She suggested to her brother to do the same, which he complained, saying he had already slept enough. However, Amy refused to allow him to explore. She told him to just watch TV and at night, they'd find somewhere to eat.

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**A/N:**Amy doesn't seem like a person to kill, does she? o.o I know. I don't think so either. But I'm thinking that if she was raised this way, she should be able to act this way. / Her shy demeanor is still going to be there. I don't want her to lose her true self.

This idea is pretty cliched, and I'm not going to lie: the plot's going to be fairly cliched as well. But I honestly like the idea, and I want to see what I can do with it, so bear with me on this.

Please point out any mistakes. :)

/previously an AU story until I realized this could actually work as a story set after the hunt.


	2. Chapter 2

Amy woke up the following day, exhausted. She was still suffering from jet lag, and when they went out to eat, she's sure she got some kind of food poisoning because her stomach wouldnt' stop aching.

She wanted to take the day off, but she knew she couldn't. She had a mission to start.

With a sigh, she rolled herself out of bed and got ready. She took a quick, cold shower to wake herself up and got dressed in both casual and comfortable clothes. She knew she was going to have to look like a normal tourist, but at the same time, be comfortable enough to run around in. She grabbed her disposable camera that she had bought mainly to look like foreigners and also to sneak some pictures of the headquarters,

Amy walked over to her brother's room and knocked loudly on the door. He answered it almost immediately, and said, "Took you long enough." He was already dressed in cargo shorts and a plain t-shirt with sneakers on. "I've been waiting since five."

She rolled her eyes and said, "Let's go, then."

"Do you know where we're going?" he asked, staring at her seriously.

She nodded once. "Just follow me."

They walked out through the lobby and towards the city area. She knew that the headquarters was just a bit off from the tourist area, which she was grateful for. If they were caught, it meant they could be pretend to be lost tourists. If he headquarters was located any further, it'd seem suspicious.

They called a taxi to drive them to a shop near the edge of the area. From there, they walked a mile to where many nameless buildings were. Most were houses, and some small businesses for the locals.

They finally came across the right place. There was no sign above the entrance, making it seem like a regular apartment building. It was rather large, and the paint was chipping off at certain areas, indicating its old age. The windows were blocked with something dark - most likely bulletproof glass - and no windows could be seen through. But other than that, it looked normal.

Dan took a picture of the front, then the two made their way towards the sides to take more shots. As they did, a car pulled up, sleek and silver. Two men, both dressed in suits, emerged from the car. Their faces held no emotion as they walked up to the door. The car pulled away as the two men entered the house, opening the door just enough for them to get in. Amy and Dan couldn't see anything inside.

"We have to get a closer look," Dan whispered urgently. "Come on." He was about to go closer when Amy pulled him back with the back of his shirt.

She was scowling. "What do you think you're doing? There are probably cameras all around this place. We should just leave -"

"Yes, you should leave," said a cool voice.

Amy's heart froze. Had they been caught already? She turned around slowly to find - with a shock - the man who she had seen on the airplane. She just couldn't get away from him.

"We-We were just lost," she stuttered, her eyes averted to the floor now.

"I needed to go the bathroom," Dan interjected, knowing his sister would only stutter the whole time. "But all those restaurants were going to make me pay, so I thought I would just find some other place. After wandering, we ended up here." He shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.

That's another reason why the siblings worked well together. Amy made up for his lack of caution, while Dan made up for her lack of lies.

"You walked a good mile just for the bathroom?" he asked, his voice neither accusing or friendly.

"No. I found a bathroom back somewhere else, but when we started heading back, Mel and I started arguing over which way to go. The streets here all look the same."

The man looked at the two of them with accusing eyes. He took in their similar looks and immediately asked, "Are the two of you related?"

Dan shook his head. "Just friends, man. We're here, studying abroad for our college courses."

"What year are you two in?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Junior," Dan replied easily. Dan, once having reached puberty, overpassed his sister's height and began looking the same age as her. He also knew that by lying about his age, it'd make it harder to actually trace him.

"And what are your names?" the man asked. The obvious Vesper knew all the surnames of the Cahills' top agents and recruits.

"My name's Timothy Hales, but you can call me Tim. My friend over there is Melanie Ascott, but I call her Mel," he said.

"You two look strangely alike," the Vesper commented suspiciously. "Are you sure the two of you aren't related in anyway whatsoever?"

"Not that we know of," Dan joked. "We met in our freshman year of college due to our looks though. Everyone said we could be siblings."

"Hmm," the man murmured. "Very well. You better leave. But if I ever catch you here again, I will not be so lenient." He watched them leave together, the girl looking more frightened than the boy.

Once they were out of sight, he chuckled. There was no way that girl could have been an agent anyway - she was much too fragile.

x

"Oh my gosh," Amy breathed once they were back towards the tourist area. "I can't believe we were almost caught."

Dan crossed his arms. "You're lucky I'm such a smooth liar."

She rolled her eyes at her brother's cockiness. "Anyway, I really think we should get color-contacts, one of us. Our hair colors are different, so there's no worry about that, but our eyes are way too similar."

"I think I'd look rather good with blue eyes," Dan said, grinning. "I don't think you could pull it off, though. Your hair has a red tinge to it that would clash with it," he teased.

Amy laughed despite herself. "Whatever. We should head back now. I think I have some colored contacts in my bag. You should wear them from now on, and try to get used to the feel of them."

"I hope they aren't uncomfortable," Dan commented as he followed his sister. "That would suck."

x

Dan blinked repeatedly. "When will they start to feel normal?" he asked, blinking over and over to keep his eyes from drying out.

"Here," she replied, handing him eye drops. "Try these out."

He did as she asked, but continued blinking.

"They might take some time to get used to. You should wear them while you're awake, so you get used to the feel. Just take them off if you feel sleepy, because you aren't supposed to sleep with them on," she warned, packing up her stuff.

"Okay," he said, though he sounded unsure.

"Don't worry. The contacts won't always feel this way," she reassured him.

"It's not that I'm worried about anymore," he said slowly. "That guy who found us - don't you think he looked a bit... Kabra-ish?"

Amy shrugged. "Isabel is a Vesper. Might be their cousin or something."

Dan shook his head. "He had a handkerchief with initials _I.K. _on them," he said, remembering the image from his memory.

A nagging feeling was there in the back of her mind but she tried to ignore it. "It's not Ian, Dan. Ian's dead, remember?"

"We _think_ he's dead, but he might not be," Dan said. "Natalie still thinks he's alive."

"What would Natalie know?" Amy muttered. "They haven't seen each other in six years."

"If you were... you know," he said, not wanting to even think about his sister being lifeless, "I think I would know. I think I'd feel as if part of my life was missing."

He had a point. Whenever either of them was in danger, the other could just sense it.

"But that's us. Not the Kabras. They were raised differently."

"But they're still related - brothers and sisters. They have a bond. It's not their fault their parents were evil."

Amy sighed. "Even if that was Ian, don't you think he'd recognize us?"

"Our looks have changed, too," Dan pointed out. "We can't still look the same as our old selves."

Amy shook her head. "I'll think about it, Dan. How about we just go out and eat first?" she offered, knowing food would distract him.

He nodded in agreement. "Sure." The two set out for dinner, the nameless face of the stranger lingering in their minds.

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**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed. Please point out any mistakes.


	3. Chapter 3

After dinner, Amy couldn't go to sleep. She told herself she had probably drank too much tea, and the caffeine was keeping her stimulated. In her spare time, she researched some of the older underground routes with her laptop.

Most computers wouldn't have the information, but her laptop was different. It was linked to the Cahill's base, letting her access their information as well. She researched several different routes that might let them sneak into the Vesper's headquarters without being caught so bluntly. She did not want a rerun of that.

Finally, she found an old sewage system that wasn't used anymore. The starting point was just a block or two away from their hotel, and the ending point was right by the headquarters in a back alley. It sounded almost perfect. But because it was so old and misused, she knew she had to examine it to see if it was sealed or guarded.

She kept telling herself she should get some sleep before doing this, but her mind didn't want to rest. It wanted to get this mission over with. The thought of capturing and killing another person - even if this person was a Vesper, and their leader, no less - seemed inhumane. But she had to constantly remind herself that they had killed so many more of their people.

Restless, she got up and pulled on her sneakers. It wasn't that late - it was only around eleven at night - and the city was still alive. It wouldn't be that dangerous. Also, the entrance was near their hotel. She kept telling herself these facts as she made her way there.

She pulled her jacket closer to her. It wasn't that cold, but it was her fear that kept her scared. It was dark, of course, and this area was a bit off from the tourist area, so there weren't as many people. She could easily be mugged and killed if she wasn't cautious and on her feet.

In the moonlight, she spotted the entrance. It was a hole in the ground, really, sealed with a thick, silver plate. She tried to move it subtly with her feet so she wouldn't look suspicious. It didn't move.

She scowled. It was bolted down that meant. That just complicated things. Also, she had no idea if there were Vesper agents waiting down there to see if anyone would find that passage.

Turning around to head back, she was met with a dark figure. Her heart started to pound in her chest. She had fought tons of times before, but each time, she was still racked with nerves, scared for her life.

"H-Hello?" she stammered, hoping it was just a lost tourist or a friendly resident. But from their stature, it seemed otherwise.

The shadow didn't reply.

"I-I was just lost. I'm h-heading back to my hotel. I don't mean any t-trouble," she said, her voice strong though wavering between her words.

"It's you again," the person finally said. "Only you have such an infuriating stutter."

Amy blinked. It was -

"You?" she asked incredulously. How many times would she run into this annoying, cocky jerk in this city? After seeing him near the Vesper headquarters, she knew he had to be a Vesper though - the enemy.

"You're an incredibly suspicious character," he said, without acknowledging her comment. "First, I find you and your friend snooping around the headquarters -"

"We were lost," she said quietly.

He ignored her, agitated that she interrupted him. "Now, I find you looming near one of the passage ways to the headquarters. Either you have a terrible sense of direction, or you're not who you say you are."

"I'm just a student," she said, her voice stronger than she thought it could be.

"A stupidly curious one," he said, rolling his eyes, although she couldn't see it. "I should kill you right now."

She gulped. "N-No... I really am just a student," she said, her voice very soft and quiet now. She was terrified of losing her life. And she knew that if he killed her, he would go after Dan, which scared her even more.

"Dan?" he asked, surprised. "Who's that?"

She blinked, not noticing she had said her brother's name out loud. "Uh, my boyfriend," she lied quickly.

"You're lying," he commented. "You reacted too quickly and too nervously. And you cringed as you said the words, as if they disgusted you."

They did, but she wouldn't admit that. "He r-really is," she insisted.

"When will you realize I can sense lies from a mile away," he drawled, his hands in his pockets.

"F-Fine," she muttered. "Dan's my brother. I'm just worried that he'd miss me if you killed me." That couldn't possibly hurt her mission. He still didn't know that _Tim_ was Dan.

He was silent for a moment. "You have a brother?"

She nodded.

He was quiet once more, as if thinking.

Suddenly, the thought that he might be Ian sparked in Amy's mind. "D-Do you have a sibling?" she asked timidly. Surely if he was Ian, he'd remember he had a sister.

"No," he snapped, almost too fast. "I'm an only child. It's better that way. I get the attention and the training."

She didn't reply. "C-Can I go?" she whispered, the night sky becoming darker.

He glared at her, and although she couldn't see it, she felt it. "If I see you anywhere near any of the passage ways or anything, I won't hesitate to kill you, coincidence or not. Understand?"

"Y-Yes," she said, trying to act confused, as if she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Go," he finally snapped.

She stumbled away from him, her heart rate racing. His voice... suddenly, she wasn't all to skeptic that he might be Ian. His voice was exactly like his.

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**A/N: **Thanks for reading. Please point out any mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

Ian was on patrol that night. For the rest of the night, after having met that infuriatingly annoying girl - although he couldn't really pinpoint what he hated so much about her -, he was alone once more.

He thought about her a lot though. He wondered why he kept running into her, and if she could really be a Cahill agent. _Most likely an Ekaterina_, he thought to himself. _They're the meekest. Or maybe a Janus..._

Ian hated all of the Cahill branches. He found them too weak. The only one he found slightly impressive was the Lucian branch. They seemed like they could be Vespers - ruthless, in-control.

Still, he found them all stupid. Too busy fighting each other to fight the true enemy. The Vespers were united, knowing who their true battle was against. Even if they stabbed each other's back, they never caused a civil war between them.

_Idiots_, was the sole word that came to mind when the Cahills were involved. Ian hated them with all of his heart. He didn't have a main reason to do so, but he was raised to see them as the enemies.

A strange thought came to mind, though, when the stuttering girl - Mary, was it? Or was it something else that started with a 'M'... - mentioned her brother. He was an only child, and he had no idea what it was like to have a sibling.

And yet, her worry for him... he felt as if he could relate to it. As if, before, he had thrown himself - his life and all - for someone he loved. When he would try to remember, he was confront with an image similar to his, but a female instead. He could never see her face though. He thought it might be a past lover he had forgotten, but this kind of love was not of passion or lust. It was... family.

He scowled, shaking it off. He had no family. Just his mother, who had already passed away. He had no idea where his father was, or who he was. But he must have been unimportant if his mother never brought him up.

"Should we go to the bar after your shift is over?" Kyle offered.

"Sure. Someone should be here in thirty minutes," Ian said, hoping to distract himself.

x

They went to a nearby tavern. A lot of Vespers were there, which made them feel safer. Ian, still under the drinking age, ordered a virgin cocktail, while his older friend ordered a beer.

"So, do you think this girl could be a suspect? We heard the Cahills might be planning another attack on us," Kyle said, taking a gulp of his drink.

Ian shrugged. "As I said before, she seemed too weak to be sent over here to attack us," Ian said honestly. "She seemed to be lacking any muscle whatsoever."

"What about the boy you saw her with that other time? Did he?"

"He seemed very... boy-ish. Innocent as well, and maybe even naive. But he seemed more confident than the girl," Ian said. "However, I doubt either would be capable of killing someone."

Kyle shook his head a bit clumsily, drunk already. "You shouldn't let your guard down, though. They could be in disguise."

Ian scowled. "You think I don't know that?" he snapped. "Of course I do. But I'm not about to kill innocent tourists, if that is what they are."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "You're weak, Kabra."

Ian glared at his supposed friend. "Excuse me?"

"So what if you kill a few people?" Kyle continued. "It would be their fault for causing us trouble."

"What are you saying?"

Kyle turned around to stare at Ian directly. "The next time you see them, kill them."

* * *

**A/N: **I don't think I quoted Pride and Prejudice correctly, but it went along those lines. I don't own that story, either. Do I recommend it? Meh. If you can understand what they're saying, sure. If you can't, it can be boring.

Also, I don't know if Italy's drinking age is below or above America's, so I guessed it to be the same in this story. Sorry if I'm wrong. Also, I'm not sure when the sun goes down in Italy either, in the winter or summer. Because in France, during the summer, the sun went down around nine to ten-ish at night, which caught me off guard, and I was wondering if Italy was the same.

Hope you enjoyed, and please point out any mistakes.

[Sorry this chapter is so short.]


	5. Chapter 5

Dan awoke lazily, sitting up as he stretched. "Ugh, I hate mornings," he grumbled, standing up slowly so he wouldn't tip over. He made his way to the bathroom to get ready. He threw on a pair of jeans and a button-up t-shirt. He slowly put on the contacts, still scared of poking out his own eyes, and after blinking a few times and moistening them with eyedrops, he walked over to put on his sneakers.

"I wonder if Amy's up yet," he thought out-loud. He turned to look at the clock that read _6:30 AM._ Usually, he wasn't awake that early unless their was mandatory training. But he was still suffering from bad jetlag.

He left his room to knock on Amy's. After a few minutes, she opened the door, sleepy. Her hair was tangled and pulled into a messy ponytail, and she was still in her pajamas. She glared at him sleepily.

"What?" she muttered, leaning against the door for support.

"I was going to see if you wanted to eat something, but I guess it's too early," he said. "I'll go get myself a snack downstairs then. Do you want anything?" he offered.

"Just get me a bagel or something," she mumbled. "Just don't wake me up for another hour."

Dan nodded, understanding that this was a hidden death threat - waking up his sister was dangerous. She shut the door on him, and he made his way downstairs.

x

An hour and a half later, Dan returned to her room with a bag with a cream pastry in it and a delicious cheese bagel, and in his other hand was a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. He just finished his early, delicious breakfast.

He knocked on her door and she opened it immediately. She was already dressed, more awake than before, and the TV was heard from inside. Her laptop was on her bed as well, meaning she was researching.

"Looks good," she commented, taking the food and allowing him in.

"You're welcome," he said sarcastically, sitting on the armchair as he grabbed the remote.

"Thank you," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't turn the channel," she warned. "I was watching a story on the news. It said that recently there has been several underground explosions."

"So?" Dan asked, not seeing what this could possibly mean.

"I think the Vespers are collapsing the underground routes that could lead someone to their headquarters," she explained. "Two of the alledged explosions were some of the routes I'd found online."

"Google has ways to sneak into the Vespers' headquarters?" he asked, confused. "Why didn't I know about this before?"

Amy threw her pillow at him. "No, I was logged into the Cahill's database."

"That explains it," he said with an understanding nod.

Amy was nibbling at the bagel as she typed on her laptop. "We should go sight-seeing," she suddenly said.

"What?" he asked, surprised. Amy was usually very dedicated to a mission. Sight-seeing wouldn't be her top priority.

"There are severals attractions having said to be linked to Vespers. Also, we can ask more about the building they reside in."

Dan frowned. "But wouldn't they get suspicious?"

"We're going to have to switch up our looks each time, so they can't trace the questions back to us," she explained. "And our outfits."

He sighed. "That sounds like a lot of work."

Amy took a big gulp of orange juice. "That's what being a Cahill is all about."

x

They asked several shops and neighboring restaurants about the building, changing their looks up with wigs and colored contacts. Sometimes they were given a shrug and a simple "no". Other times, the workers would know little pieces, such as they often got rich guests over there and that sometimes they could hear bangs coming from the building. They even got glares, which they knew that it was their cue to leave for they might be sent after.

"I'm so glad Italians speak English," Dan muttered, pulling off the bright red wig and his scarf. "Or that would've been ten times more exhausting."

Amy nodded, pulling off her fake mole on her right cheek. "We barely even got that much information."

"I doubted we would've," Dan admitted. "The Vespers are more secretive than the Cahills."

Amy agreed wordlessly. "Let's just find somewhere to eat an early dinner so we can head back. I'm exhausted," she sighed dejectedly.

Dan's stomach agreed without protest.

They found a small restaurant that they had earlier questioned. They ordered their meals and were eating hungrily when Dan noticed a fancy _V _on a man's heel. His pant leg had risen up without him knowing it, revealing a tattoo of the letter _V_.

Dan's eyes motioned Amy towards the man, who was with another man dressed just like him. Amy's eyes widened. They were probably there wanting to know if they had been questioned about their headquarters.

"We should go," she said quietly so they wouldn't attract attention.

"We should follow them," Dan said, his eyes bright. "This might be our chance to get in. Maybe they'd take a back-passage way or something."

"No!" she whispered loudly, looking around for anything suspicious. "We could be caught easily! They have guards everywhere!"

"This might be our only chance," he protested. "We can't give it up."

"Dan -"

"I know you're worried we might be caught, but it's a chance we have to risk. We aren't agents because we're weak or scared. It's because we're willing to do things other Cahills are too scared to do," he whispered. "I'm going to do this, with or without you, Amy."

With a deep sigh, she nodded. "I guess I don't have a choice."

* * *

**A/N: **Not that much action this chapter, but there will be in the next chapter, I assure you. The plotline is fairly written up to around a mini climax. I have to keep finishing it up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, nonetheless. Please point out any mistakes you come across, and thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

After the men left, Dan and Amy left the money for the bill and left immediately. They got outside as the car turned at the alleyway. Dan broke out into a sprint, and Amy tried her best to keep up. His long legs, however, were much more used to running than hers.

"Where'd they go?" he asked, panting as he stopped to take a rest.

"I don't know," she replied shortly, her voice restricted, tired. "Wait, I see their headlights. That way." She started jogging towards the light, Dan walking quickly behind her.

"I don't see them" Dan said, squinting through the darkness. "I think we lost them."

Amy sighed. "I told you this was a bad idea," she muttered, putting her hands on top of her head as she caught her breath.

"A very bad idea," a new but familiar voice interjected.

Amy held her breath. They were caught - again - and by the same person. "We were -" Dan tried explaining but was caught off.

"Lost?" the man asked, as if expecting it. "Are you ever not?" His voice was mocking and cold. He was no longer going to be fooled by these two - whoever they were.

"This is our second time," Dan tried arguing.

"But her third," he said, nodding towards Amy.

She gulped as Dan turned to look at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, looking at his sister rather than the man, however.

"I caught her around one of the entrances the other night, as if you didn't know," he sneered. "She claimed to be lost. I figured she was much too weak to be a threat." He paused, glaring at her through the darkness, which made her shiver involuntarily. "But I guess I was wrong."

Dan turned back to the stranger. He looked dejected now, as if he knew their end was coming and there was no way to lie their way out of it. "What are you going to do with us?" he snapped, irritated at himself for giving up so easily. "Kill us?"

Amy held back a gasp. What was Dan doing?

"I'm supposed to," he admitted. "But -"

"You three!" someone shouted from behind them. The stranger - although he wasn't exactly a stranger after three consecutive meetings - turned around.

"I'm handling it," he snapped back at them.

A group of men approached them, further aggitating the man in front of them. In the moonlight, Amy saw as his dark eyes set in determination. It was as if he had something to prove.

"I don't think so," one of them sneered.

"We're going to have to put the three of you into lockdown," another said, his voice cold and emotionless.

"What?" the man demanded. "What do you mean? I wasn't even doing anything?"

They shook their heads. "You can't be trusted."

"I've been a Vesper all my life, and I still am treated as a foreigner," he snarled.

The group was silent for a moment then went on to grabbing them roughly. Dan tried protesting a bit, while Amy decided it would hurt less to not struggle under their strong hold. Ian, however, wouldn't go down without a fight.

"What are you doing?" he yelled, breaking free once. "You can't just lock me away!"

"Don't make a scene, Ian," one of them scowled.

Dan and Amy's eyes locked at the sound of his name.

"I've spent all of my life fighting for the Vespers! Why would I betray them?" he demanded, frustrated and confused. "Why am I the suspect?"

"I told you," someone suddenly said. "I told you to kill them the next time you saw them."

"Kyle -"

"But you obviously hesitated or something, therefore making you a suspect," he finished. "That's why we have to take you down."

"I was going to!" he insisted. "I just wanted to talk to them!"

Realizing he wouldn't stop fighting, one of the men injected something into his system. Amy and Dan couldn't make it out, but they knew its purpose: to numb Ian.

Suddenly, their mission had gotten ten times more complicated. Not only were they captured - and maybe soon to be killed, even - but they had found one of the most important Lucian agents that had gone missing with his mother years ago. And not only did he not remember being a Cahill, but he was sure that he was a Vesper.

After they were thrown into dark cells, each seperated by cold, steel bars, Dan and Amy sat, staring at Ian's unconcious body.

"Do you think it's really him?" Amy finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Probably," Dan answered. "No one's as persistent as a Kabra."

"Or evil," she murmured under her breath.

"What is he doing here?" he asked, still baffled by the sight laid in front of him. "I mean, now that my guess was right, I can't help but be confused. Why does he think he's a Vesper?"

Amy thought about it before reaching a conclusion. "The Vespers are known for their brainwash. They can convince an innocent man to admit to murdering ten different men - men he's never even seen. Isabel probably took him here when she escaped, and they brainwashed him into thinking he's a Vesper."

"But why does he hate us then?" Dan asked. "He was a Cahill, too."

"He probably doesn't remember," Amy said with a shrug. "They could've pushed those memories to the back of his thoughts, or covered them completely with lies." She sat there on the cool tile floor, staring at his collapsed figure. "He's been missing for so long, and they probably repeatedly put him under the process. He probably only knows us as the enemy now, without any recollection of being a Cahill."

"Wouldn't he be confused that he doesn't remember anything from before being captured?" Dan persisted. It just didn't make sense to him. Maybe Ian going over knowingly made sense, but brainwash? It seemed unreal.

Amy shook her head. "Like I said, they could make it so that he wouldn't even wonder about his prior years. Or they could cover them with lies of a fake childhood." She saw Dan's horrified face and nodded somberly. "They're that powerful."

"Well, this is going to be one wild story to tell the others when we get back," Dan muttered, leaning back, tired.

"If you ever get out," Ian's harsh voice rang through the cell. "I can only hope that never happens."

* * *

**A/N: **If you're wondering why the Vespers were so insistent in punishing Ian, even though he was only talking to the Cahills - and not nicely either -, it's because they all know that Ian was a Cahill. Obviously, they thought he might have regained his memory and was conspiring against the Vespers, which is why they put him away. But Ian doesn't have a clue.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed it. Please point out any mistakes. :)


	7. Chapter 7

"You're awake," Amy whispered, shocked. Usually injections like that can knock out someone for days. And here he was, awake after only a few hours. _Maybe they didn't give him that much... or maybe it was a weaker form than I thought._

"Of course," he snapped, not bothering to look at her. "We go through many training sessions building up stronger immunities to those shots. I know men who can totally withstand those shots altogether."

"Creepy," Dan muttered from his cell, the one on the left side. Amy's was in the middle, while Ian's was on the right.

"I can't believe it," Ian continued, ranting more to himself than anyone else. "I've been with them for my whole life, and I have never questioned them. Then, suddenly, they accuse me of conspiracy - with Cahills, no less." He scowled in disgust as if the name itself repelled him.

"He really doesn't remember," Dan murmured in awe.

"Remember what?" Ian snapped, turning to look at Dan's shadowy figure in the dark. "That you two are actually Cahills? I've gotten that much now." He turned around, angry at himself for not knowing that earlier. "I doubt your names are even as you said they were."

"Obviously not," Dan said, rolling his eyes.

Amy flashed him a look that said, "_Shut up_."

But he ignored her. "You're not that smart for a Vesper, are you?" he continued, his eyes challenging meeting his when Ian turned around.

Ian growled. "You watch that mouth of yours, boy."

"If you were, you would've seen through our juvenille lies the first time," he said without faltering. "Are you sure you're even a Vesper? I mean, any other Vesper would've known the truth. Any other Vesper wouldn't have spared us."

Amy glared at her brother now. "What are you doing?" she asked incredulously. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Listen to your girlfriend," Ian warned, his voice low. "She's obviously the smarter one."

Dan almost gagged, while Amy flushed in embarrassment. It was disguting, being called her brother's boyfriend. "I thought I was done calling you stupid, but apparently not. If you were smart enough, you would've realized that you were right that first day we met." Dan paused, waiting for a reaction, but recieved only uneven breaths. "We're siblings. Our eyes gave that away, didn't they? But you ignored them... you stupid Vesper."

The last three words rang through the cell, reaching Ian's ears with a shock.

"SHUT UP!" he exploded. "I'M A VESPER! Do you understand that? A VESPER! And I _will _destroy you and your weak family! And you will be the first I destroy, then your weak sister! Once I get out, YOU ARE DEAD!" He stopped, his breathing quick and short.

Amy gulped, hoping her brother would just shut up so they'd have a better chance of surviving.

But apparently that was wishful thinking. "If you ever get out," Dan muttered, leaning against the wall.

There was a loud _thud _from Ian's side that made Amy cringe. "AGH!" Ian's yell came, echoing through the walls.

Worried despite every other warning going off teling her to _not care_ about the ENEMY, she leaned over to his side and asked, her voice soft, "Are you okay?"

"Do I sound okay?" he snapped, holding his hand. He had just pounded his fist into the stone wall as hard as he could.

"No," she whispered, leaning against the steel bars. "You're going to bruise very badly."

"As if I don't know that," he sneered, glaring at her through the steel bars. Her face looked eerily familiar as the moonlight highlighted her eyes. He shook off the thought uneasily.

"Can -" she paused, as if she felt embarrassed. "Can I see it?" she asked quietly, not wanting to sound 'weird'. During her training, she excelled in the medical area. She tried to outstretch her arm to see it, but he pulled away quickly.

"Don't touch me," he growled, glaring at her. For some reason, he wanted to avoid all contact with her - and her brother, if the time ever came. He thought it was simply his sheer hatred for the Cahills then.

"I-I just want to help," she stammered, pulling back hesitantly. With a sigh, she moved back towards the middle of her cell, farther from Ian's.

"You don't have to be such a jerk," Dan snapped, less patient than his sister.

"I swear -" Ian started threatening again before the door in front him slammed open. A dim light streamed into the room behind the two guards who were standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

"Come with us," one of them said in a low voice.

"Finally," he muttered, obviously annoyed. "Realize I'm innocent?"

They ignored him, though. "You two - come with us, too."

"What?" Ian snapped. "I'm called a traitor for talking with them and here you two are, breaking them out? You two are -"

"Shut up," the other scowled.

"What do you two want?" Dan asked bravely.

"It's not what we want," one answered. "Our Master is the one who called for you three."

* * *

**A/N:** You guys are probably wondering why Amy and Dan won't tell Ian why he's a Cahill quite yet. Well, if Ian's sure that he's a Vesper, he has a better chance of pleading innocent. And why does that matter? Well, think about it.

Um, yeah. So, Ian DID wake up in the last chapter, but he didn't hear anything. He just woke up to hear Dan's last statement...

Ah, I love your reviews and all, but I would appreciate it if you guys would stop 'demanding' updates. I will update, with or without demands. I don't mind if you don't review at all, but I really don't appreciate reviews that tell me to update 'now'. Obviously, I won't, because I actually have other things to do.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please point out any mistakes. Thanks for reading.

I just realized that this story isn't neccesarily AU o.O This could happen after the hunt, if you think about. I should go change some things then...


	8. Chapter 8

The three of them were blindfolded - which Ian protested greatly to, saying he already knew the pathway and this was all stupid - and taken down to wherever the leader was.

When they arrived, they were stripped of the blindfold and pushed towards the room down the corridor.

"They're so grabby," Dan muttered, irritated as he massaged his arm where they seized him. Amy shushed him, glaring at him for being so obnoxiously loud during a time like this.

Finally, the doors were pushed open and there sat, behind a simple desk where his meal was. Beside him was a middle-aged woman, most likely his wife or assistant. Her eyes were a warm hazel and she seemed innocent, but Amy knew better. It was a part of an act.

"Amy and Dan Cahill," she said, her voice sweet like honey. "Welcome."

Amy and Dan stayed quiet, knowing silence was their only ally in a situation like this.

"Ah, and Ian Kabra," she continued, her eyes straying towards the handsome young man. "Always the pretty ones," she murmured to herself, which caused Ian to grimace and turn away. Turning back to the siblings, she smiled.

"What are you two doing here?" she finally asked. However, soon, the man spoke up, his voice booming compared to hers.

"Stop talking, now, Lucila," he barked. She instantly fell back into silence, her head hung low beside his. "Ian!" he yelled, causing Ian to jump a little from where he stood. Never had Amy or Dan seen him so scared and vulnerable, except for when he was with his mother as a younger child. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing, sir," he answered in a low voice. "I just caught them sneaking around and -"

"I heard this wasn't the first time," he continued, his voice still booming, showing he was in command. "Weren't you warned to lock them up the next time you saw them?"

"I -" he started, nervous, but stopped when the man continued.

"Don't lie to me! What were you three discussing!"

"Nothing -"

"I knew he was going to figure it out eventually," the woman muttered in disgust, glaring at the three of them now.

"Shut up," the man hissed again. "You two" - he pointed to the guards - "lock them away again. Don't let me see his face again." He threw a vicious glare at Ian as they were escorted - pulled - out of the room.

When they were pushed back into their cells, Ian immediately charged at the door, but they shut it before he could exit. They were no match for Ian had they been fighting individually, but they had weapons on them and number on their side, while Ian was alone and with only his fists to fight. He may be daring, but he wasn't stupid.

"Agh!" he yelled in frustration, falling to the ground.

"Amy," Dan whispered over to his sister. "What do we do now? If you haven't noticed, we're totally failing our mission so far."

Amy sighed, obviously noticing that. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'll think about it," she sighed, also frustrated at the situation. Not only have they found the long-lost Ian, but they're stuck in cells with him at the Vesper headquarters without a clue what's about to happen to them.

"Well, hurry up," he muttered. "They barely feed us here and I really need to take a shower." Dan sighed and laid down on the cold floor.

"Hygiene and food shouldn't be the main concern," Amy replied in a hushed tone. "I think our lives are."

"I know that, but -"

"Will you two stop talking?" Ian's voice came from the other side of the chamber. "It's annoying enough that I'm stuck down here for no reason at all, but to be stuck with you two bickering makes it worse."

"Still as bitter and stuck-up as before, I see," Dan said out-loud, rolling his eyes.

"Dan!" Amy whispered, her eyes widening.

"Don't act as if you know me," Ian warned, glaring at him through the darkness. Although they couldn't see it, it sent a chill down Amy's spine.

"We know you better than you do," Dan muttered, putting his hands behind his head.

There was silence for a moment before Ian asked, "What do you mean?"

Dan sighed, annoyed at this point and very tired. "I don't know how you haven't picked this up, dude, but we're obviously related. The Vespers brainwashed you and now you think you're a Vesper, but you're not."

Ian snorted. "You must think I'm stupid. I could never be a Cahill like you two - a mess, your family, fighting each other. I could never be related to such idiots," he snapped.

"Well, you were," Dan answered, ignoring the insults without care. "You were a Lucian."

Ian was quiet for a moment, and Amy finally decided to speak up.

"Do you really not remember?" she wondered out-loud, staring into the darkness quizzically.

"I remember everything perfectly fine," he replied coldly. "I was born a Vesper, raising a Vesper, trained a Vesper, and I am a Vesper. There isn't a doubt in my mind." But, there was, and it was growing as the moments passed with the two Cahills, and it was scaring him.

"You had a sister," she continued softly. "Don't you remember her? Her name was Natalie and she looked like you, really, but younger. I guess Isabel left her behind when she took you."

The idea of a sister was all too familiar to him, yet he was barely raised near girls. His mother - Isabel - was also a familiar idea, although he barely could remember a thing about her. "No," he scowled. "Because I don't have a sister." Yet the words sounded like a lie even in his own ears.

"Why bother trying anymore?" Dan asked, his eyes becoming heavier and heavier.

Amy sighed, shaking her head. "I guess," she murmured, leaning her head against the cold, stone wall.

While the two were trying their best to rest up, Ian's memories were haunted by a young girl with straight black hair and dark eyes much like his own and a tall woman looming over the both of them, her similar but colder eyes punishing them.


End file.
